A Fairy Tail Christmas
by xSteleAliniax
Summary: Complete! A Nalu Christmas story! When Lucy gets invited to a Secret Santa party thrown by Mirajane, she starts to question where her relationship with Natsu is headed. (Three-shot; rated T for some language, and possibly make-out sessions...maybe.)
1. An Invitation

A/N: _A Birthday Surprise_ , _A Fairy Tail Thanksgiving_ , and _A Fairy Tail Christmas_ are companion fics! They can be read together or alone, but if read as one they go in the following order:

 _A Birthday Surprise_ 1-3, _A Fairy Tail Thanksgiving_ 1-3, _A Fairy Tail Christmas_ 1-3, _A Birthday Surprise_ : Epilogue (4).

But, as I said before, they can be read on their own just as well!

* * *

 **A Fairy Tail Christmas**

 **Part 1: An Invitation**

 **By: xSteleAliniax**

 _ **Beta'd By: SamGreg**_

* * *

 _December 17th_

Lucy stood at the request board in the guild hall, mouth set in a thin line and eyes narrowed in deep thought. She chewed absently on a fingernail, which was starting to become a habit of hers. There were exactly three jobs on the board that morning. Either everyone had rushed in at the crack of dawn to retrieve jobs, or no one was hiring at the moment.

"Oh, man. This sucks." She grumbled, eyes flicking between the three flyers.

 _Rebuild a Town Hall._

 _Rescue a Missing Giant Hamster._

 _Decode an Ancient Script._

"Are any of these even wizarding jobs?" Lucy huffed in annoyance.

"Oh, Lucy! There you are!"

Lucy turned to see Mirajane walking towards her with a glittering mint green paper in hand and a huge grin on her face. Lucy immediately narrowed her eyes in suspicion. That was the look that said Mira was up to something.

"NO." Lucy said when Mira was close enough to hear her. The white-haired mage stopped in her tracks, a look of surprise flashing across her face. She shook it off quickly, though, and resumed walking with her usual giddy exuberance.

"I have something for you, Lucy!" Mira sang, waving the glittery paper between them like a flag. Lucy sighed in defeat and took the paper from Mira's hand.

"What is it?" Lucy asked, flipping the paper over to reveal a colorful border of candy canes and holly. The heading at the top of the page read in swirling red ink:

 ** _Secret Santa Party! Come Join the Fun!_**

Lucy blinked in confusion as she read the rest of the flyer.

 _Lucy,_

 _You've been invited to a Secret Santa party! Lucky you!_

Lucy rolled her eyes. This was undoubtedly written by Mirajane herself, who continued to stand near Lucy as she read, looking utterly pleased with herself.

 _The theme, of course, is Christmas! So wear your best holiday outfit, and come by the guild hall at 6:00 PM sharp on Christmas Eve!_

 _There will be snacks, drinks, and entertainment provided, but feel free to bring your own if you like!_ This followed by three perfectly drawn hearts.

 _Following the entertainment portion of this party, we will open all of the Secret Santa gifts together! Won't that be fun?!_ Also followed by hearts, this time accompanied by smiley faces.

 _Make sure you draw a name ahead of time in order to give yourself enough time to buy the perfect gift! But don't forget, this is a SECRET SANTA, so mums the word!_

 _I'll see you Christmas Eve!_

 _Mira._

"A party, huh?" Lucy's tone conveyed complete disinterest, but Mira apparently chose to ignore this because her face lit up with excitement as she bobbed her head in a nod.

"Oh, yes! Doesn't it sound super fun?!" She practically squealed with delight. Lucy hadn't seen the take-over mage this happy in a long time.

"Yeah, super!" Lucy agreed with forced enthusiasm. "So, where do I draw a name?"

Mira pointed to a small cardboard box that sat at the far end of the bar, wrapped in red and white striped paper with a bright green Fairy Tail emblem on all four sides. Lucy walked over to it and found that there was a small hole on the top, barely large enough for a hand to fit through, and some kind of cloth concealing the contents inside.

"Is everyone in the guild going to this party?" Lucy wondered, chewing on her nail again as she looked over the box and its shiny wrapping.

"Not this time!" Mira assured her. "Only about fifteen to twenty people."

"Has everyone already chosen a name?"

"Certainly not!" Mira giggled. "Only five so far. You still have a lot to choose from!" Mira winked.

Lucy resisted to urge to scowl and put her hand inside the box, rifling around the slips of paper inside. They were about the size of one you might find inside a fortune cookie, but these were smooth, like laminate. She plucked one from the box and held it out toward Mira. The white-haired mage shook her head, still wearing that excited grin, and placed a finger to her lips before turning and skipping away.

Lucy sighed and shook her head at the strange woman. How had she gotten herself into this?

* * *

 _December 22nd_

A few days later, Lucy and Levy were perusing the mall in search of Secret Santa gifts. Though neither was certain whom the other had gotten, they were each confident that it was neither of them, seeing as each girl had chosen a male name. So, shopping side-by-side was safe enough.

Lucy hated doing things like this. She enjoyed shopping for herself, but it was much too difficult to shop for someone else. What if they didn't like what you bought for them but were too nice to say anything? Or, worse, what if they _did_ say something?

She remembered when she had gotten Natsu an encyclopedia on dragons for his birthday one year, and how he had immediately stuck his nose up to it, saying, "Luce, when am I ever gonna read something this big and wordy?" to which she responded with a Lucy-Kick before storming out the door.

She had learned after that that it didn't matter what the book was about, if it had more than twenty pages and most of them (all of them) weren't filled with pictures, Natsu wouldn't read it.

She didn't buy him any more books after that.

And, of course, she remembered all the gifts she had given to her father as a child, and how much he seemed to despise them, no matter how hard she worked on them.

Maybe Lucy was just a bad gift giver.

"What's with the sad face, Lu?" Levy asked, calling her attention back to the present. "What's on your mind?"

"Nothing," she sighed, then turned what she thought was a reassuring smile toward Levy. "I'm just thinking about the party!"

Levy grinned.

"At least Erza isn't the hostess this time."

Lucy laughed as memories of their Thanksgiving dinner flashed through her mind. Erza had set them all up into teams in order to get all the shopping, decorating, and cooking done in a time specific manner. Of course, when Thanksgiving Day rolled around and they were all settled at the table, that was when chaos broke lose, as was Fairy Tail tradition, she supposed.

"Maybe there'll be a proposal from a Secret Santa," Levy winked conspiratorially at Lucy, who scoffed and rolled her chocolate eyes.

"If you're talking about Natsu, you and I both know he's too dense to do something even remotely that romantic."

"He bought that mountain for you!" Levy pointed out, in reference to the over-the-top gift the Dragon Slayer had given Lucy for her birthday that year.

"That's true…" Lucy agreed slowly. "Still, don't you think that was kind of a weird gift?"

"I thought you loved that mountain?"

The duo stopped walking when they saw a nearby bench, taking a short break to rest their legs.

"I do!" Lucy answered honestly.

A fond smile spread across her face as she recalled the day Natsu had given it to her and all the pointless walking he had made her do just to get up there. It was much simpler now that he had showed her the shortcut, said shortcut being Happy, that is.

"And, you're right. It was pretty sweet of him. Still…" Lucy trailed off, suddenly feeling anxious.

"Do you _want_ Natsu to propose?" Levy asked in a quiet tone, leaning close so as not to be overheard by passersby.

"…No?" She answered unconvincingly. Levy snorted a laugh.

"Sure, Lu."

Lucy sighed. She wasn't fooling anyone.

"I don't know, Levy. We haven't been dating that long. Isn't it a little early to be making assumptions about potential proposals?" Lucy lifted a finger to her lips and chewed on a nail as she thought.

 _Did_ she want Natsu to propose? She honestly couldn't say. They were already sort of/kind of living together, so she supposed marriage was the next logical step in their relationship. But, damn, marriage was just such a terrifying thought! And it wasn't that she didn't think she would be with Natsu in the future, but marriage sounded so final. So permanent.

"I mean, we've only been dating eight months!"

"That's how long you've been _official_ ," Levy said, emphasizing the last word, "but, Lu, you and Natsu have been together a lot longer than that."

Had they? She remembered all the moments they had shared prior to when Natsu had asked her out. Not a whole lot had changed for them after that, she realized.

 _Except for the kissing_ , her mind helpfully supplied. She blushed scarlet and looked down at her non-existent watch to hide the fact.

"Oh, look at the time!" She said, scrambling to get to her feet with all her bags. Not only had she bought for the Secret Santa party, she had also found some things for a few of her other friends as well. "We better get going before it gets dark!"

* * *

 _December 23rd_

The next morning, Lucy awoke enveloped in Natsu's warm, strong arms. This was common for the duo, as Lucy grew cold in the winters and Natsu was her personal furnace. But, today it felt different. The way his arms wrapped around her body, holding her tightly even in sleep. The way his heart seemed to beat in the same rhythm as hers, as if they had been formed from two parts of the same whole. The way her head fit perfectly on his chest, like he had been created just for her, and vice versa.

 _Now you sound like a cheesy romance novel_! Lucy chastised herself, then shrugged out of his embrace, sliding out of the covers and slipping into her pale, pink robe. She looked back down at him as she tied the satiny belt around her waist. He still lay there peacefully, undisturbed by her movements. The only indication that he had noticed her absence was the hand that searched the spot where she had just been with subconscious movements.

With a fond smile, Lucy turned toward the bathroom to start getting ready.

She took her time showering, because it was still fairly early and she knew her Dragon Slayer would be out cold for a while. Once that task was completed, Lucy walked back out into her bedroom in just her bath robe to find Natsu still asleep, arms and legs spread out on the bed like a starfish. She stifled a giggle and went to her dresser to find something to wear. With clothes in hand, Lucy went back to the bathroom to dress, since it was still warm in there from the steam of her shower.

She slipped into a pair of skinny jeans, and paired that with a turquoise shirt with a silver lily pattern, and gray boots that touched her calves. Since it was a winter wasteland outside in Magnolia, Lucy blew her hair dry completely before pulling it back into twin tails and adding two silver bows with turquoise flowers on the tops.

By the time she had finished putting on some eye shadow and a touch of mascara, Natsu was awake and stumbling into the bathroom. She grinned at him through the mirror, but he just groaned something unintelligible and started stripping out of his clothes.

 _Right there in front of her!_

"Uh," she began, cheeks heating, "what do you think you're doing?"

"I'm gonna take a shower, Luce." He replied, as more clothes came off. With cheeks the color of scarlet, Lucy turned her back on him and fled the room without another word.

She decided to use the time while Natsu was getting ready to make them a quick breakfast. She didn't have a lot of time to do so, however, because Natsu took significantly less time getting ready than she did. So, she settled with making them each an omelette, with green chili, ham, and shredded cheese. She sprinkled in some garlic salt, then poured the mixture into her omelette pan before setting to make some toast.

When Natsu came out the bathroom door, with only a towel wrapped around his waist, Lucy was just finishing up with the last omelette. She had made two for Natsu, each extra thick, just the way he liked them, and three pieces of toast slathered in butter and cinnamon sugar.

When she turned around with his plate in hand, she nearly dropped it to the floor. Her brown eyes trailed down his exposed chest, lingering on the space where his abdomen curved _in that way_. She blinked in surprise at his lack of clothing, and apparent lack of concern, as he sat down at the table.

"What's with the funny look, Luce?" He asked her with a frown. "I'm starving over here!"

"Y-You're-" She stammered, unable to think coherently with those taut muscles bared to her.

"My name is Natsu," he said, enunciating each word slowly as if she were some slow child. She narrowed her eyes at him. "And your name is Luuushiii," He winked, and she scowled, gripping the plate so hard in her hand she was sure it would break.

She huffed in annoyance and pointed in the direction of the bathroom with her free hand.

"Go put on some clothes! This isn't a spa!" She exclaimed, hoping Natsu didn't notice the heat still coloring her cheeks.

"Why? I don't wanna get dressed yet." His tone whining. Her eyes looked heavenward.

"Natsu, so help me, if you don't get some clothes on right now I swear I'll throw your food out the window." She threatened, then, in case he thought she was fibbing, she started making her way over the kitchen window.

Natsu hopped out of his seat with haste and started walking back toward the bathroom with a pout. As he did, the towel he had wrapped around his waist fell to the floor. Lucy gaped as he sashayed his hips purposely before sending a wink over his shoulder at her. Chuckling, he closed himself in the bathroom.

Lucy glared daggers at the closed bathroom door before turning to put his plate by his usual seat at her table. With a huff, Lucy took her own plate to the table as well, and started eating while Natsu dressed. It would take him five bites to finish his meal, so she could start ahead of him and probably still be eating when he was done.

The bathroom door opened and Natsu came out, dressed in a pair of dark green shorts, a black shirt with a green Fairy Tail insignia on the front, and black sandals. Lucy gave him a disapproving look over her coffee cup as he sat down across from her.

"What?" He asked, before digging into his omelet.

"Natsu, it's forty degrees outside." She stated in a measured tone.

"Is it?" He stuffed nearly half the omelet into his mouth in one bite and chewed.

"You can't be wearing shorts and sandals, Natsu!" She exclaimed, gesturing at the windows, and the snow, which had been falling pretty steadily all night. "You're going to get sick!"

" _Pfft_ ," Natsu scoffed. "I don't get sick, Luce."

"Natsu!"

"Lucy!" He mimicked her, making her growl angrily at him. He chuckled. "Luce, I don't get cold, and I don't get sick." He made a fireball appear in his left hand, the one not currently shoveling food into his mouth. "Fire mage, remember?"

"That doesn't make you impervious to illnesses!" She argued. He just rolled his eyes and ignored her. After another minute, she gave up trying to convince him and finished off her plate.

"Let's go see if we can find a job," Lucy suggested, once they had finished eating. "I went by yesterday but didn't see anything! And my rent is due soon."

"You could always come live with me and Happy," Natsu grinned a cheesy smile. Lucy blushed at the insinuation, and thought back to her conversation with Levy the day before.

 _Maybe there'll be a proposal from a Secret Santa._

 _Do you_ want _Natsu to propose?_

"Don't joke about such things!" She chastised, sliding from her seat before stomping toward the door, ignoring the stunned look on his face as she did.

 **XxX**

"I can't believe this was the best we could do," Lucy grumbled in annoyance, as she and Natsu made their way back from Freesia Town, where they had to help rebuild their town hall. Which, coincidentally, just so happened to have fallen because of a certain idiot walking beside her. Fortunately, though, no one but the two of them had remembered, so they managed to squeeze out the full reward, however pitiful it may have been. But, it would pay her rent, and that was what mattered.

"It pays your rent," he pointed out, echoing her thoughts. She turned a smile his way.

"Yeah, you're right."

"But what about our dinner?!" Happy whined where he hovered along beside them. His head and wings were slumped forward in the most pathetic way. Lucy rolled her eyes.

"What do you care? You both always eat at my place anyway."

"She's right!" Natsu chuckled. Lucy rolled her eyes. It was true: the two boys ate her out of house and home almost every day. However, the plus side of that, was that now Lucy got two-thirds of their job reward versus her usual one-third. So, it almost evened out.

Almost.

"So, who'd ya get for Secret Santa?" Natsu asked casually. Lucy fixed him with a firm gaze.

"Don't even think about going snooping, Natsu!" She warned him, thinking of the gift she kept hidden in one of her drawers. "You'll find out who I got on Christmas Eve, just like everyone else."

"Fine," he mumbled, then moped the rest of the way back to Lucy's apartment.

* * *

 **A/N: Hellooooooooo! Stele here with another special for you! XD So, some of you may be asking,**

 **"Stele, I thought you were already doing a Secret Santa story with _Grizzly98_? What gives?"**

 **Well, yes, I am doing a Christmas special with Grizz over on her channel. But, whereas that one is more romantic and fluffy, this one is purely humorous. If you need a good dose of Nalu fluff, then definitely head over to Grizz's channel and check out our collab. But, if you just need some good laughs, then read on! Actually, you should definitely read both XD**

 **Now I'm rambling… Anyway, I'd really, really love for you guys to give me your thoughts on this! This is only part one, so don't worry, the story continues for a part 2! As I stated on my profile page, I typically go overboard on one-shots and that's where most (all) of my three-shots come from. And this was no exception XD**


	2. Decisions

**A Fairy Tail Christmas**

 **Part 2: Decisions**

 **By: xSteleAliniax**

 **Beta'd By: _Katie Dragneel_**

* * *

 _December 24th - 4:30 PM_

When Christmas Eve rolled around, Lucy was actually starting to feel a little excited about the upcoming party that evening. It was still early, so she had plenty of time to make herself look absolutely fabulous.

And she would, too.

Since it was the day of the Secret Santa party, Lucy had booted Natsu out of her apartment fairly early, claiming that she didn't want him peeking at her gift and ruining the surprise for the receiver. While that was partially true, the real reason was that she didn't want him to see her Christmas dress until she was completely done-up. She wanted to do a whole reveal for him, and see his genuine reaction.

She was currently in her bathroom, working on curling the ends of her hair so they fell in perfect waves just above her waist. She had left it down because a certain pinkette had let slip once that he rather liked her hair when it was left loose. She could even remember the faint blush that painted his cheeks the color of his hair. The thought made her smile.

Once that task was completed, she set to polishing her toenails and fingernails, because she wanted to look absolutely perfect tonight.

She found shimmering, ruby red polish and set to work, careful not to get the paint on her skin.

Once her nails had enough time to dry, she pulled her dress off its hanger and slipped it on, wary of her freshly-painted nails. With the dress in place, she slid her feet into a pair of delicate heels, then walked over to her mirror to check her reflection.

The dress was made of a silky red fabric that clung to her waist and flowed out around her in various skirts. It was strapless, and had an especially low neckline that pumped her breasts out in a way that was almost too much. The bodice part of the dress was dotted with glittering silver jewels that helped accentuate the ruby necklace that hung on a silver chain just above the space between her breasts. Her shoes were also silver, with ruby jewels along the thick straps that wrapped around her slim ankles. The emerald and gold thread bracelet she wore stood out against the red of the dress, but she didn't care: she never took it off, not since Natsu gifted it to her three birthdays ago.

With a wink of approval, Lucy blew a kiss to her reflection, then turned away from the mirror to search for her black shawl, because it was still freezing and she didn't have her dragon around to heat her up for the walk to the party.

She grabbed the gift that sat on her coffee table—a neatly wrapped parcel of red and silver wrapping with a small, red bow in the top left corner—pulled the shawl closed so that it covered her exposed cleavage, then headed out into the cold, wintery night.

* * *

 _December 24th - 4:00 PM_

It was nearly time to leave for the party, and Natsu still hadn't started getting ready.

Not only was he still in only a pair of shorts and his scarf—it was too damned hot for a shirt!—he hadn't showered, and worst of all he hadn't even wrapped his Secret Santa gift, even though Happy had been reminding him to do so for the past week.

It wasn't his fault, he wasn't any good at wrapping gifts! The intended person would immediately know that the shoddy wrapping job had been Natsu's and that would ruin the surprise, and defeat the whole purpose of the 'Secret Santa' concept.

"Happy!" He called out from where he fretted over his hair. A cowlic made his bangs stick up in the front, no matter how hard he tried to keep them in place. Likewise, his pink locks had a perpetually haphazard look about them, no matter what styling attempts he used to tame them.

"What's up, Natsu?" Happy flew into the bathroom, where Natsu was currently slathering gel into his hair to smooth it down into a semi-normal look. Happy took one look at his attempts and burst into laughter, falling onto the floor and rolling around, kind of laughter.

Natsu scowled at his friend and resisted the urge to give him a swift kick across the floor.

"Will you shut up and help me?!" Natsu exclaimed irritably. The blue Exceed sobered, spreading his wings out before hopping into the air and flying around Natsu's head, inspecting the mess of gel and pink locks.

"Hm," he mused, studying the pinkette with mock focus. Natsu scowled again, waiting for his friend to say something. "Houston, we have a problem! This hair seems to look ridiculous, sir!"

Natsu moved to swat the cat away, but he dodged effortlessly and snickered as he flew just above Natsu's reach.

"Why are you trying to slick back your hair like that, Natsu?" Happy asked, genuinely curious to the sudden change. Natsu sighed heavily and began washing his hair out in the sink.

"I'm nervous, okay?!" He hissed, water and gel dripping into his eyes. He pinched them shut and worked the gel out of his hair until it was mostly clean, then turned the faucet off and flipped his hair back, spraying the mirror, and Happy, with the wet strands. The latter gave a shriek of annoyance and flew out of the water's path, but not before getting a coat full of it. Scowling, he shook the water off.

"What are you so nervous about?" He asked, now perching on the counter near the Dragon Slayer.

"Me and Luce have never shared a Christmas together," he admitted in a low voice, as though afraid that the aforementioned blonde wizard would suddenly appear and overhear him. "I screwed up with Thanksgiving, that whole night was a disaster!"

He cringed, remembering the food fight he and Gray had gotten into, even if it had been sort of fun.

"And then that damned Jellal had to go and show us all up by proposing!"

"I thought it was Erza who proposed?" Happy interjected.

"Whatever! It was a dual proposal," he waved off the specifics with a dismissive flick of his wrist. "Anyway, he gave Erza a ring, and now the rest of us have _that_ to live up to. How is anything I give Lucy ever going to match up?"

"You could give her a ring," Happy suggested with a shrug. Natsu's eyes bugged at the casual way his friend said this, as if suggesting that Natsu put on a shirt, or put the lid back on the toothpaste when he finished brushing his teeth—which he never remembered to do.

But _propose_ to Lucy?

No. That was totally out of the question.

Or, was it?

"I need to talk to Levy. Right now."

He rushed out of the bathroom, and was just about to storm out the front door when Happy called out to him.

"Hey, Natsu! You're not wearing a shirt!" His amused snicker echoed off the walls of Natsu's head, and he nearly dropped dead right then and there at the sudden realization that _he was shirtless._

 _Like that idiot, Gray!_

"Ah, sh-"

"Don't forget your pants!" Happy flew by Natsu's head, chuckling as he did a flip in the air to avoid a fist to the face.

"Shut up, Happy! I'm wearing pants!"

But he still glanced down, just to be sure.

Five minutes later, he was at Levy's front door, beating on the wood so hard he thought it might break in half.

A moment later, footsteps could be heard jogging down the steps, and a faint, "Coming!"

Levy opened the door, surprise flickering across her face as she took in the uninvited guest.

"Um, hello, Natsu," she greeted confusedly. Natsu was sure his expression fell somewhere between anger and frustration, and the poor script mage was probably highly curious as to why the hell Natsu of all people would show up at her door.

He couldn't blame her either, as he was just as surprised.

"I need your advice," he said, pushing past her and into the house.

It was warm inside, as a fire burned in the hearth of her fireplace in the small sitting room that sat just to the left of the entryway. This was where Natsu went, as the hot flames licking against the wood called out to him. He refrained from devouring them, as they were currently the only thing keeping the small woman's house heated, and he would never live it down if Lucy found out that he had forced a chill into her best friend's home.

"What's going on?" Levy asked, once she had joined Natsu in the sitting room. He paced in the small space in front of the fire, looking agitated and on edge. "Is everything okay?"

"No! Yes! I don't know!" He stammered, irritation coloring his tone as he ran a hand through his still-damp hair. Finally, he stopped pacing and turned on Levy. His expression must have been something fierce, because the bluenette took a step back in surprise, eyes going slightly wider.

"Does Lucy expect me to propose?" He blurted. At this, the bluenette's jaw hit the floor, her green eyes going even wider in shock.

"Uh-" She started, confusion causing her brain to freeze up. "I-Where is this coming from?" She finally managed to get out.

Natsu heaved a sigh and dropped into one of her floral printed chairs, the one closest to the heat of the fire.

"I don't know," he admitted. "I was just thinking about Thanksgiving, and how Jellal, or Erza, or whoever the hell it was, had to go propose and set the bar impossibly high for the rest of us!"

Understanding lit her features as she nodded. "Oh, so you think Lucy now expects the same of you." She guessed.

"Yeah, I guess it sounds pretty stupid when you say it out loud." He sent her lopsided grin. "But, I don't know. Do you think I should? I mean, this Christmas party would be the perfect place to be all showy and—hell, what's the word? That girly word?"

"Romantic?" Levy supplied in a flat tone.

"That's it!" Natsu exclaimed, to which Levy responded with a roll of her eyes. "I could use the Christmas party to ask her-" He stopped, suddenly feeling a chill run through his veins.

 _Ask Lucy to marry me._

That had been what he was about to say. But, for some reason, those words got lodged in his throat and refused to come out. That was ridiculous! He couldn't _marry_ Lucy!

But, he couldn't live without her, either. And he most certainly did not like the idea of her marrying anyone else.

"You love her," Levy stated, tone matter-of-fact. There was no question in her voice, she knew he loved Lucy.

"Yes,"

"Do you want to marry her?"

"...Yes." He whispered, voice unwilling to go any louder. "But, I don't think she'd like a huge, romaniac-"

"Romantic," Levy corrected.

" _Romantic_ gesture," he continued, "in front of everyone, you know?"

Levy nodded in agreement. "She does get embarrassed fairly easily."

"So, I shouldn't propose,"

It wasn't exactly a question, but it wasn't a statement, either. Uncertainty colored his tone, and his expression, as he held Levy's gaze. He felt like a fool, asking advice from some _girl._ But then, he guessed it made sense to ask a girl _about_ a girl. And not just any girl, _the_ girl, _his_ girl; his Luce.

Levy shrugged in answer. "I'm not telling you to do, or not to do, anything. But, I think you'll know in your heart when the time is right."

 _I've always known that… ever since I first laid eyes on her in Hargeon._

"Yeah," he agreed. "You're absolutely right."

* * *

 **A/N: Part 2, you guys! Thoughts? Personally, I thought it was adorable to see things from Natsu's perspective. I thought his little conversation with Levy was just too funny, and also cute as heck! XD**

 **Thank you to my lovely beta reader, Katherine, for doing this scene super last minute for me, and for suggesting a chapter title that is actually pretty damned accurate and way better than the ones I usually choose. She's awesome, really. I think I'll keep her XD**

 **Anyway! I know I usually respond to reviews at the bottom of the next chapter, but, the review system is down AGAIN, so... sorry, guys. I will reply at the bottom of the next chapter if the system fixes itself by then, other wise I will send each of you a personal review. Unless you're using a guest account, then I'm sorry!**


	3. The Party

**A Fairy Tail Christmas**

 **Part 3: The Party**

 **By: xSteleAliniax**

* * *

 _Christmas Eve - 6:00 PM_

Lucy was not known for being especially prompt, but that night she had shown up exactly on the dot of the predetermined time, and was still chastised for being late.

"Lucy! Where have you been?!" Mira fretted in annoyance when Lucy came walking into the guild at _exactly six o'clock._

"The paper said come at six," she argued, feeling defensive. She was on time, wasn't she?!

"That's no excuse!" She chastised, ushering Lucy farther into the room, which had been elaborately decorated for the occasion. Red and green streamers hung from the rafters in the ceiling, and were wrapped around pillars. Red table cloths with green and white striped candy canes along the edges. A huge blow up snowman in the corner, wearing a red scarf with a green Fairy Tail insignia emblazoned on the front. And a huge, towering Christmas tree, decorated with brilliant colored lights and tinsel and shimmering red and gold decorations. The whole thing seemed to sparkle.

"Wow, Mira, the place looks great!" Lucy complimented, earning a very satisfied grin from the take-over mage.

"You think?! What about my outfit?" She spun in a circle for Lucy, making the skirts of her gown fan out around her. Lucy grinned and gave her a thumbs-up of approval.

"Definitely the best one here!"

"That's so sweet of you, Lucy!" Mira beamed, clearly pleased with the praise. "And you look just darling, too!"

"Uh, thanks!" _Was 'darling' really a compliment?_ "So… where is everyone?" A quick glance around showed no signs of anyone other than the two of them.

"Oh, they're downstairs!" Mira pitched her voice low. "I wanted to keep the grand reveal a surprise." She winked. Lucy coughed to hide a laugh.

"Right, well, we better go see it. I can't possibly curb my enthusiasm a moment longer." Lucy said evenly.

"You're going to love it!" Mira promised, then gripped Lucy's hand and tugged her towards the stairs to the basement, humming some Christmas tune as she went.

As the two women descended the stairs to the basement, Lucy could hear music thumping from inside the closed door. She thought it was the tune to _Jingle Bell Rock,_ but the words were most certainly not those from the classic Christmas song.

Lucy frowned in thought as Mira led her farther down, wondering why the lyrics were so off.

Then, she figured it out.

As she and Mira entered the large basement area, Lucy's eyes widened on the pair currently belting out the most inappropriate lyrics to _Jingle Bell Rock._

"Oh, man…" Lucy shook her head in exasperation.

Karaoke.

And, worse, _Christmas_ karaoke, with completely crude and tasteless lyrics that were nowhere near the original. Obviously they weren't using the lacrima screen to supply lyrics.

"This gives me a sense of deja vu…" Lucy muttered to herself.

"Oh!" Mira squealed from beside her. "I had no idea you enjoyed karaoke!"

"I don't." Lucy replied tersely, much to Mira's bewilderment.

A familiar blue-haired script mage caught her eye and waved her over. Lucy rushed off in her direction before Mira could force her to participate in some cruel karaoke contest, or whatever was going on onstage at that moment.

"Hey, Lu!" Levy greeted her with a warm smile. "Wow, you clean up nice! You look great!" Then, she peered around Lucy's shoulder with a frown. "Isn't Natsu with you?"

Lucy shook her head. "No, I told him I'd meet him here. I didn't want to ruin the big surprise." She gave Levy a wink that made the bluenette giggle.

"Good thinking, Lu, he's going to love _that_ ,"

 _That_ , being Lucy's smoking-hot dress, of course.

"Thanks, Levy. And, you look great too! Where's _your_ boyfriend?" Lucy asked pointedly, waggling her eyebrows in a way Mira might have done. Levy blushed and looked away, toward the back of the room where her boyfriend, Gajeel, sat strumming chords on his guitar, tucked away in a corner far removed from the rest of the party. Lucy snorted a laugh when Levy gave a dramatic sigh.

"I think he's avoiding me," Levy said, green eyes rolling.

"Why would he do that?" Lucy wondered.

"I may have told him that I loved him…" Levy's voice trailed off, face going absolutely crimson with embarrassment. Lucy couldn't hold back the laughter this admission brought on. It was just so like what had happened between her and Natsu that the irony was almost too much to bare.

Levy scowled, misinterpreting the giggles coming from her best friend.

"It's not funny, Lu! I'm so embarrassed! He didn't even say anything back!"

"No, I know, I know!" Lucy struggled to control herself. She took a deep breath to calm herself before continuing. "It's only funny because that happened to me in almost the exact same way."

She then proceeded to explain how she had accidentally let the words slip out one day when the two of them had been on a job together. They had been dating maybe two months at that point, and neither had said the "L-Word" outloud yet. Lucy had been feeling glum at that particular moment because she hadn't been of much help in the mission they had just finished. Everything she had done just seemed to make things worse.

However, Natsu had somehow managed to say all the right things—for once in his life—and made her feel better. She had been in the middle of thanking him for what he had done, when she let the words slide off her tongue.

She had immediately tensed up, since it had been a complete accident that she had said that aloud. Natsu had sort of acted like Gajeel was now, and went completely quiet, not saying a word for the entire trip back home, and then proceeded to avoid her for the next day as well.

"He eventually came up to my house, after I had spent the previous day bawling my eyes out like an idiot," she rolled her eyes, "and apologized for avoiding me. He said he was just so embarrassed when I told him that I loved him, because he had always wanted to be the one to say it first."

Levy snorted a laugh. "That doesn't even make sense,"

"I know!" Lucy laughed. "Still, it all worked out for us and it'll work out for you, too."

Levy smiled. "Thanks, Lu, that actually makes me feel a little better." Her green eyes flicked to something behind Lucy and her smile grew. "Speak of the devil…" She gave Lucy a wink before turning in the direction of her boyfriend, presumably to demand answers.

"Huh?"

Lucy spun around so fast she nearly stumbled and fell. Natsu had just walked in, and damn did that boy look nice. He wore dark jeans that were more fitted than his usual baggy pants, and a scarlet red, button down dress shirt with the top three buttons left loose. His hair was slightly damp like he'd recently washed it and hung haphazardly about his head, as it always did, but for some reason that look was particularly appealing to her tonight.

When she caught his eye, his lips pulled up into a smile. At least, until his eyes scanned down the length of her, taking note of every little curve the dress clung to, before finally locking gazes with her again. She watched as he swallowed a lump in his throat. She grinned in triumph. That was why she had wanted him to see the full effect—it wouldn't have been the same if he had watched her get ready.

When he finally made his way over to her, his green eyes smoldered with a fire all their own.

"Damn, you look like a raging fire," he said as he approached, immediately slipping an arm around to the small of her back and pulling her against him. She flushed scarlet.

"Is that supposed to be a compliment?" She asked in a low voice, too afraid of attracting attention by speaking any louder.

"The highest," he assured her, before capturing her mouth with his.

She sighed and leaned into him, returning the kiss with equal fervor. Her hands slid up his chest, tightening into fists around the soft fabric of his shirt as his fingers splayed out on her back and pulled her even closer. She got lost in that kiss, in that one moment that seemed to last for an eternity.

That is, until a commanding forced reigned down upon them like a bucket of ice water.

"Lucy, Natsu,"

Erza's stern voice broke into their little bubble and they jumped apart. Her eyes stared disapprovingly into theirs, shifting between green and brown orbs.

"This is hardly the place for such scandalous acts," she chastised them. Lucy felt her face flush again and couldn't seem to make her mouth form words.

"Now, Erza," Jellal came up beside her, looking amused as he took in the scene before him. Lucy blushed even fiercer, if that was humanly possible at that point… "You have to forgive them for their indiscretions, their youthful minds can't process all of their sexual tension the same way yours and mine can."

"What the hell?!" Natsu exclaimed in offense. Lucy narrowed her eyes and folded her arms across her chest.

"It is so not like that," she replied, in a tone that was indeed somewhat youthful and childish.

"Sure," Jellal agreed, working to hide his smirk, and failing.

"Keep your indiscretions for the bedroom," Erza scolded, before taking off in the opposite direction. Lucy blushed something fierce at the insinuation.

"It-it's not like that, I told you!" She called after the requip mage, who ignored her completely. Jellal chuckled.

"Well, have fun, you two," he smirked again before turning to join Erza across the room.

"They are the most annoying couple," Natsu commented with a shake of his head. Lucy turned a smile his way.

"I was just thinking the same thing."

He winked. "That's why I love you,"

She blushed, as she always did he said those words to her, but hoped he would misinterpret it for an after-effect of Jellal's teasing.

"Oh, is that the reason?" she teased, when she could find her voice again. He shook his head and leaned close to her ear again.

"There are many reasons I love you, Lucy, too many to count." His whispery voice tickled her skin and sent a shiver of pleasure through her. He kissed the spot behind her earlobe before pulling back and gripping her hand in his, eyes alight with amusement.

"Come on," he gestured with his head towards a game of poker that was currently going on between Cana, Gray, Mira, and Jellal and Erza. Though, Lucy couldn't tell if Jellal was actually playing or simply being used by Erza as a good luck charm, which was what Lucy was about to be used for, she knew.

She groaned but allowed herself to be tugged toward the table. Already, images of Natsu losing more and more bets, and therefore being forced to eat at Lucy's house again, flowed through her mind as the duo joined the group of gamblers.

"Put me down for three-hundred jule," Natsu slapped some money onto the current betting pile in the center of the table. Cana gave him a mischievous smirk; Erza raised an eyebrow; Mira looked thoroughly pleased by the matter, and Gray looked annoyed.

"Where's Juvia?" Lucy asked, suddenly realizing why the table felt emptier than usual. Gray rolled his eyes.

"She's busy playing with someone's kid over there," he gestured toward where the water mage seemed to be in deep conversation with a small, raven-haired child of about seven years. Lucy frowned, wondering where she had seen the child before. Finally, she shrugged, deciding that it didn't matter.

"I didn't know Juvia liked kids," she commented after a moment, chocolate eyes flicking back to the gathered members who were all placing bets in the center of the table as Cana passed out cards to each of them

"Apparently, she does," Gray's tone was a groan. Lucy chuckled. Natsu rolled his eyes at the ice wizard, who shot him a glare in return before looking back over his cards and placing his own bet.

"There should be cake at this party," Erza stated after a round of cards, casting an accusatory glare on Mira.

"There is!" Mira gestured at a gorgeous cake that sat on a nearby table filled with snacks and drinks. Erza scowled at the beautifully decorated cake.

"That cake is not strawberry,"

"It's chocolate!" Mira grinned.

"Strawberry would have been the better option."

Lucy coughed to hide a snicker. Natsu poked her in the side of the leg to get her attention, sending her a wink when she glanced over at him.

After a while of watching Natsu actually win (for once in his life), Lucy grew bored and decided to venture off to find Levy.

"Aw, don't leave me, Luce!" Natsu whined when she related this to him. "You're my good luck charm!"

"You'll be fine," she rolled her eyes. "Or, you could pull out now while you're ahead, instead of risking all of our money." Her tone chastising. He gave her a pitiful pout.

"You're a cruel woman…" he muttered. She snorted, then leaned down and pecked his lips before taking off.

"Hey, Lu!" Levy smiled at her approach. She was sitting at a table with Wendy, Romeo, and Gajeel, and looked to be in the middle of some kind of card game.

"Hi, Lucy!" Wendy said in greeting, but Romeo and Gajeel simply nodded in acknowledgement.

"What are you playing?" Lucy asked, taking a seat between Levy and Wendy.

"Go Fish," Levy said with a grin. Lucy laughed.

"What? Shrimp made me, okay?!" Gajeel suddenly defended himself. Lucy glanced over at him with a raised brow.

"I thought it was your idea?" Romeo asked with a frown. The Iron Dragon Slayer huffed and ignored the comment.

Lucy laughed. "Deal me in!"

 **XxX**

After the party, Lucy and Natsu were walking back to Lucy's apartment together, chatting animatedly about the hilarious gifts everyone had received.

Someone had given Macao a box of "Just For Men," with a note inside that read: _Do us all a favor and use this._ Macao hadn't acted in kind to the gift, instead throwing it across the room at a chuckling Wakaba.

Levy had received a gift certificate to the local bakery, with a note that read: _You must try their strawberry cake!_ It wasn't difficult to guess who sent that one.

Gajeel had gotten a guitar pick that someone had somehow managed to get Levy's picture on. Gajeel and Levy both had blushed at the gift, and Gajeel immediately pocketed it, mumbling a gruff, "thanks."

Erza had been given a whole strawberry cake in the shape of a Christmas tree, which she seemed thoroughly pleased with.

Jellal got a book of poems, courtesy of Levy, if Lucy had to guess; she remembered seeing the bluenette pick the book up at one of the stores the two visited a few days earlier. He also seemed to be one of the only ones who actually liked their gift, but those were just some of the interesting things that were given that evening.

"Did you _see_ what Mira got?!" Natsu asked as they walked. "Can you believe someone _gave_ her that?!" He cackled, and Lucy rolled her eyes.

"It's the thought that counts," she argued on behalf of the giver, whoever they were.

Speaking of the take-over mage had Lucy thinking of her own gift, and how certain she was to the giver.

Lucy fingered the smooth surface of the gem still clutched in her hand. It was a green emerald in the shape of a heart, about the size of quarter, with a red Fairy Tail insignia etched into it, and if you turned the gem just so in the light, you could just make out a pair of wings floating inside. Beneath the Fairy Tail symbol, four letters were carved: _ND_ _LH._ It wasn't difficult to guess who the letters stood for. However, when she asked him about it later he quickly denied that he would vet give her something "so lame and cheesy."

"What about your gift?" She asked after a moment of silence, gesturing at the gift in his hands—a sapphire-blue dragon with shiny, silver wings and horns, and a gold bow around its neck. The gift was identical to the one Lucy received two years ago for her birthday, except that hers was red and gold.

"It's a dragon," he stated, in a matter-of-fact tone. She waited for him to continue, to add to his statement, but he remained silent.

"Yes…" She agreed slowly, "it is, but what do you think about it?"

"It reminds me of this water dragon Igneel once told me about," he mused.

"Really?" Lucy asked curiously. He nodded.

"She was lovely, according to Dad," Natsu explained with a fond smile. "He spoke of her on occasion."

"Was she…?" Lucy couldn't finish her thought aloud, it was too personal to ask such things.

"He never confirmed as much, but I'd say they had at least some sort of relationship."

Natsu squeezed the hand that held hers, giving her a crooked smile.

"I doubt they were ever as close as we are, though." He winked, making Lucy blush at the unspoken words.

She scowled to hide her embarrassment and looked away. When he leaned forward, hot breath tickling the skin of her neck, she froze.

"I love the dragon," he breathed into her ear. She shivered, though this time not from cold, then bit back a smile.

"Well, good," she muttered. "Someone obviously knows you well."

Natsu snorted. "Yeah, _someone_."

When the duo reached Lucy's apartment, she attempted to tell him goodnight, shutting the door as she did, but Natsu stuck a foot out and caught the door before it could close in his face. She gasped at the smoldering look in his eyes, the same one she had seen earlier when he first caught sight of her in her flaming red dress.

"N-Natsu," she stammered out, feeling suddenly flustered.

And _hot_.

"Lucy,"

Natsu stepped forward, pushing the door open just enough for him to slip through, then kicked it closed with his foot. All the while, his green eyes never left her brown ones. She gulped at his intense gaze, something she had never gotten used to in the eight months or so they had been dating. It burned through her like something physical, making her blood boil within.

"S-Stop looking at me like that!" She put out a hand to stop him from coming closer, but when her hand made contact with his hot skin—even through his shirt his skin radiated heat—she was unable to push him away. And when his lips met hers, with an urgency that she had never before felt from the Dragon Slayer, she completely melted, body sinking into his as she returned that blazing kiss.

His arm went around to her back, holding her flush against him, while his free hand traveled up her body with slow, precise movements that had her writhing in anticipation. When his hand reached her neck, he used it to tilt her face slightly so he could deepen the kiss, slipping his tongue inside.

She let out a long, shaky breath, and tightened her grip on his shirt, pulling him even closer, not even realizing that she had been backing up until her back suddenly hit a wall.

His lips moved to her neck, trailing fiery kisses down the nape, occasionally letting his teeth graze the soft skin there. She leaned her head back to allow him more access, which he took full advantage of. When he sucked at a certain spot on her neck, Lucy sucked in a surprised breath through her teeth.

His hand, the one that had once been holding her back against him, slid down to her slender leg, and pulled it up and around him so that it wrapped around his hips. He closed the bare space between them by pushing against her, causing a moan to escape her lips, and a shudder to run up her spine.

It wasn't until Natsu's hand moved farther up her leg that she realized where this was headed.

"Natsu," she gasped out, as his hot lips continued to assault her neck, while his hand ascended dangerously close to the edge of her dress, which had slid up considerably in her current position.

"Natsu, wait."

At those words, he immediately ceased what he was doing, but he didn't move away from her. Her eyes flicked between his, which were burning with desire and passion. The hand on her leg had stilled just as it was about to graze the edge of her lacy, red panties, while the hand on her neck shook lightly.

"What's wrong?" He asked, voice a breathy whisper.

 _Sweet Mavis, that voice…_

"We can't," Lucy gave a minute shake of the head, but still she could not drag her gaze away from his. "Not yet." she finished, feeling her cheeks heat in sudden embarrassment.

"Your skin just flushed," he murmured, tightening the fingers slightly that still held her leg. She shivered.

Of course, he could feel her skin heat. He could feel every reaction she gave, from the beating of her heart to the quickening of her pulse.

"Not yet," she whispered, and when he looked deeply into her chocolate brown orbs, she saw understanding light his features.

He nodded, and slowly, reluctantly, pulled away from her. Her leg dropped back down to the floor, and her hands fell from where they still kept a death grip on his shirt. Her heart slowly steadied itself to a somewhat-normal rhythm, while her skin felt suddenly cold, making her shiver again.

"Cold?" He asked. She nodded, and he left her to retrieve a sweater from her closet, one of Natsu's that he had left behind a while ago. He pulled it over her head and helped her into it before quirking her a smile. "Better?" She smiled back and nodded.

"Much."

"Good."

He gripped her hand and gave a light squeeze, then his eyes turned sheepish and he had to glance away.

She frowned, watching as he opened and closed his mouth several times before finally speaking.

"Luce," he began hesitantly. "I don't want you to think that I'm... pressuring you or anything."

"I don't think that, Natsu," she assured him. "I know you're not like that."

"I'm not," he agreed slowly, "but, Luce, you have to understand something."

"What is it, Natsu?" She asked, feeling a sense of anxiety start to creep into her.

Natsu closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Lucy… I'm part dragon." The words tumbled from his lips in one, long exhale. Lucy blinked at him for a moment, waiting for him to continue.

"I know," she said with a frown when he didn't elaborate. He turned shocked eyes on hers.

"You do?!"

Lucy rolled her eyes in a dramatic fashion. "Natsu, I'm not an idiot. Of course, I know that about you! We've been best friends for _years_ , you know."

He still looked at her with incomprehension, or perhaps confoundedness.

"Do you know what that means?" He pressed, voice low, as if he were afraid to speak any louder.

"Yes."

"You do?" He repeated, face displaying an expression of such comical shock and disbelief, that Lucy couldn't help but laugh. He narrowed his eyes and puckered a lip at her. "What's funny about this?"

"Nothing!" She assured him, once she was able to gain control of herself again. "Sorry, but you act as if you being a Dragon Slayer is some huge secret."

"I guess you're right," he agreed, grinning sheepishly. "I just didn't want you getting into anything without knowing all the gory details."

"What so gory about it?" Lucy wrapped her arms around him, laying her head on his chest. "We've been bound since that first day in Hargeon," she whispered, the words making Natsu suck in a sharp breath. "You know, they say only true love can break a charm like that."

"Really?" He asked in surprise. "How come you never told me that?" Lucy shrugged.

"I don't know, it never came up." She leaned back just enough to gaze into his emerald eyes. "We've always been mates, Natsu. It just took us a while to realize it."

"Hell, yeah, it did!" He agreed with a snort. Lucy grinned. "Well, maybe we can't do _that_ ," he waggled his eyebrows suggestively, "but that doesn't mean we can't do other things." He grinned broadly, and Lucy laughed.

"Wow, so romantic, Mr. Dragneel."

"Only for you, Luce!" he winked, then leaned down and scooped her up before depositing her onto the bed and crawling in with her, wrapping his arms around her from behind. "Sleep, my love," he whispered into her ear. She smiled, then settled into his embrace and fell almost instantly asleep.

* * *

 **A/N: Alright, my darlings, this was the end of this little three-shot! What did you think?**

* * *

 **REVIEWS ARE FIXED! Shout-Out Corner can commence:**

 _ **Guest**_ **: (Chapter 1) Thank you! I hope you liked the way I ended it! XD It turned out fluffier than expected, but I suppose I should have anticipated that from Nalu.**

 ** _magicalfanfiction_ : (Chapter 1) Aw, that's so nice to hear! Thank you!**

 _ **dakotaterry246**_ **: (Chapter 1) *bows* thank you, kindly! That really means a lot!**

 _ **lanybug135**_ **: (Chapter 1) You're so sweet! XD I hope you liked the rest of the story as well!**

 _ **Snavej**_ **: (Chapter 2) "cute little dork," eek, I love that! XD That's so true. And that was a great idea. Too bad Natsu was too fixated on Lucy to think about proper wrapping XD**

 _ **Checkmate-13**_ **: (Chapter 2) Aw, thank you! That is such a nice compliment! I really appreciate you saying that. And Nalu is my OTP so of course it's a Nalu story! XD**

 **(PS: One of my awesome readers first used the term "shout-out corner" and I thought it was great! So I'm using it XD)**


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